Bottles with top loading resistance

Abstract

This disclosure is generally directed toward bottles with improved top loading resistance and does so by, among other things, utilizing walls, shoulder, and / or other structural features of a particular size, taper, angle, and / or material. The bottle includes a mouth, a barrel connected to a base, and a shoulder extending between the mouth and barrel. The shoulder may include upper, intermediate, and lower sections, in which the intermediate section may be relatively thicker than the upper section. The barrel may also include upper, intermediate, and lower sections, in which the intermediate section may be relatively thicker than the lower section.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Technical Field[0002]This disclosure generally relates to bottles and more particularly related to bottles with improved top loading resistance.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Liquid, flowable and / or squeezable consumer products have been marketed in plastic bottles, such as those made of polyolefins or polyesters. Exemplary bottle materials include polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). While conventionally packaged in non-transparent containers with relatively thick sidewalls, larger quantities (e.g. 500-2000 mL) of heavier products, such as cleaning or detergent liquids, are now capable of being packaged in durable and recyclable plastic bottles with transparent and relatively thinner sidewalls.[0005]Those bottles filled with liquid products often need to be vertically stacked on top of one another, such as during transportation, warehouse storage and / or at point-of-purchase display. The top loading resistance of the bottles requi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes bottles that can better withstand being topped up with liquid. They are made with a thicker layer of material and have a specific angle at the top. The bottle may also have additional features like grooves or ribs on the surface or a curved bottom.

Problems solved by technology

However, conventional plastic bottles generally have limited and insufficient top loading resistance, especially when the products are heavier liquids.

As a result, bottles filled with liquid products in the bottom may be subjected to substantial top loading forces and may buckle or even collapse, causing economic loss in terms of inventory replacement and the labor needed for clean-up, or damage to the facility or vehicle in which the collapse occurs.

These structural features, however, are not without their cost.

In particular, the panels and ribs often require more plastic material to be used, which is undesirable both economically and environmentally.

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